Meghalaya Government and Khasi Students' Union Reach Consensus on Five Core Demands

Guwahati: The Meghalaya Government and the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) reached a consensus on Wednesday, resulting in the student body putting its state-wide agitation on hold following a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Deputy Chief Ministers Sniawbhalang Dhar and Prestone Tynsong, and a KSU delegation led by former CEC President Lambokstarwell Marngar. ​The talks addressed the union's five core demands through specific timelines and decisions. First, regarding the Shri Cement Project, the state ordered a complete status quo to halt all construction and operational activities, alongside an independent fact-finding committee headed by a senior official outside the local district administration to probe the public hearing, stakeholder consultations, and environmental impacts. Second, for Entry and Exit Check Gates, the Umling facility will be developed into a dedicated facilitation centre targeted for full operation before Christmas, while efforts continue to secure land for additional centres at Ratacherra and Atiabari, supported by a new mobile application for facial and document scanning under MRSSA 2016. Third, on Migrant Worker Regulation, amendments to the Meghalaya Identification, Registration, Safety and Security of Migrant Workers Act will integrate the CCTNS network for digital police verification within a month. Fourth, concerning Recruitment Reforms, personal interviews for Grade D posts have been scrapped and interviews for Grade C non-technical posts will end on January 1, 2027, with the government also evaluating legal frameworks to restrict MPSC eligibility to state residents. Fifth, addressing NEIGRIHMS Issues, Chief Minister Sangma forwarded the union's grievances directly to the Union Health Minister while pledging state logistical support for upcoming online examinations and computer labs. ​While the KSU has adopted a wait-and-watch approach contingent on these commitments being met, Marngar clarified that the temporary suspension of protests will immediately restart if any timelines are missed or if work on the Shri Cement project resumes prematurely.